Filling element, method and filling system for filling containers

ABSTRACT

Filling element for filling containers with a liquid charge, having at least one liquid channel, which is formed in a filling element housing and in which, in the direction of flow of the charge, at least one liquid valve actuated by an actuating mechanism is provided upstream of a dispensing opening, specifically for dispensing the liquid charge in a controlled manner through the dispensing opening into the respective container. The liquid channel is designed with a venting system.

The invention relates to a filling element for filling containers with a liquid charge according to the preamble of claim 1, to a method according to the preamble of claim 7 and to a filling system according to the preamble of claim 11.

Containers in the context of the invention are generally packaging means which are usually used for liquid and/or paste-like products, in particular for beverages, for example including soft packagings made from flat material, containers made from metal, glass and/or plastic, for example cans, bottles, etc.

In the context of the invention, the expression “substantially” means deviations of +/−10%, preferably of +/−5%, from an exact value and/or deviations in the form of changes which have no effect on the function.

Filling elements and filling methods for filling containers are known in different embodiments, in particular including for free-flow filling and for pressure filling.

In the context of the invention, free-flow filling is to be understood to mean a method in which the liquid charge flows into the container to be filled in a free charge stream, wherein the container does not bear with its container mouth or opening against the filling element but rather is spaced apart from the filling element or from a dispensing opening thereon. An important feature of this method is also the fact that the air displaced from the container by the liquid charge during the filling process does not enter the filling element or a gas-conducting region or channel formed therein but rather flows freely into the environment.

In the context of the invention, pressure filling is to be understood to mean a method in which the liquid charge is fed to the container to be filled which is arranged sealingly against the filling element and is usually pressurized with a pressurizing gas (inert gas or CO2 gas), wherein the container is arranged with its container mouth or opening in a sealed position against the filling element and the inert gas displaced from the interior of the container by the inflowing charge during the filling process is conveyed away via a gas channel formed in the filling element.

Regardless of the type of filling method and regardless of the design of the respective filling element, it may happen under certain conditions, in particular including operating conditions, that gas and/or vapor constituents, in particular including gas and/or vapor constituents which do not belong to the charge, enter the interior of the filling element or the liquid channel thereof, for example air and/or residues of a cleaning and/or disinfecting medium in gas and/or vapor form which is used to clean and/or disinfect the filling system or filling machine. Specifically, air or gas may enter the liquid channel of the filling element for example under the following operating conditions:

-   -   after cleaning the filling machine and before filling starts         again, for example after a change of product,     -   due to unfavorable flow conditions at the mouth or dispensing         opening of the filling element, in particular at the start of         the filling process for the respective container to be filled,     -   during start-up of a filling machine after a break in         production, etc.

The penetration of air and/or gas into the filling element or into the liquid channel thereof results in considerable disadvantages. For instance, air and/or gas bubbles resulting therefrom may rise inside the product lines or channels and may reach the charge-providing vessel in a filling machine, and germs which damage the product may thereby enter this vessel and the charge located therein. In addition, gas and/or air bubbles impair the measurement accuracy of measuring equipment or measuring devices which control the filling volume of the containers, and thus impair the filling quantity accuracy or filling level accuracy when filling the product into the container.

In order to avoid these disadvantages caused by air and/or gas residues, it has until now been customary firstly to pass a relatively large quantity of charge through the filling elements of a filling machine in a pre-running mode prior to the actual start of production and then to discard this charge. In practice, no containers are fed to the filling machine during this pre-running mode, wherein the charge exiting from the filling elements flows for example freely onto the floor and is conveyed away as unusable.

The problem addressed by the invention is that of providing a filling element which avoids air and/or vapor and/or gas residues, but also excess gas (inert gas or CO2 gas) which is not bound in the product or is intrinsic to the product but released, within the liquid channel of the filling element and which avoids the associated disadvantages.

In order to solve this problem, a filling element is designed in accordance with claim 1. A method and a filling machine form the subject matter of claims 7 and 11 respectively.

In the method according to the invention, the venting of the filling elements of the filling system or filling machine takes place in particular prior to each start of production, namely in such a way that the liquid valves of the filling elements are closed and the gas pathways which serve for venting are opened. At the same time or thereafter, charge is introduced into the filling elements or into the liquid channels (valve chambers) thereof until they are in each case completely filled with the charge and any gas and/or vapor and/or air residues are completely displaced from the liquid channels by the charge. A venting of the filling elements may also take place during ongoing production, for example by manual intervention or else automatically, e.g. at predefined time intervals.

Further developments, advantages and possible uses of the invention will become apparent from the following description of examples of embodiments and from the figures. All the features described and/or shown in the figures, per se or in any combination, form in principle the subject matter of the invention, regardless of the way in which they are combined or refer back to one another in the claims. The content of the claims also forms part of the description.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures and on the basis of an example of embodiment. In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows, in a simplified view and in cross-section, a filling element of a filling system or filling machine for the free-flow filling of containers in the form of bottles with a liquid charge, with the liquid valve open;

FIG. 2 shows, in an enlarged partial view, the closed liquid valve of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows, in an enlarged partial view, the liquid valve of a filling system or filling machine for the pressure filling of containers in the form of bottles with a liquid charge, with the liquid valve closed.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference 1 is a filling element for the free-flow filling of containers in the form of bottles 2 with a liquid charge, which in the illustrated embodiment consists of a first liquid component, for example fruit juice, and a second component which contains constituents that are more solid, for example fruit fibers and/or fruit pulp and/or fruit pieces.

The filling element 1 is arranged on the circumference of a rotor 3, which can be driven in rotation about a vertical machine axis, and together with a container carrier 4 forms a filling position 5 which is provided with a plurality of identical filling positions 5 on the circumference of the rotor 3 and at which the respective bottle 2 is held by a bottle or mouth flange on the container carrier 4 during the filling process and is suspended with its bottle opening 2.1 at a distance below the filling element 1 or below a dispensing opening 6 of the filling element 1, namely with its axis coaxial or substantially coaxial to a vertical filling element axis FA, so that during the filling process the charge flows into the respective bottle 2 as a free charge stream FS.

Formed in a housing 7 of the filling element 1 is a liquid channel 8 (valve space) which at the lower end has the dispensing opening 6 and at the upper end is connected via a product channel portion 9 to the lower end of a product channel 10 which is vertical in the illustrated embodiment. The latter is connected in the upper region via a metering valve 11 (liquid phase valve) to a vessel 12 which during the filling operation is partially filled with the first, more liquid component of the charge, and via a metering valve 13 (solid valve) to an annular channel or annular vessel 14 which during the filling operation is filled with the second component which contains solid constituents in high concentration. The vessel 12 and the annular channel or annular vessel 14 are provided on the rotor 3 jointly for all the filling elements 1 of the filling machine.

Arranged in the product channel 10 is a flow meter 15 which is for example an electromagnetic flow meter and delivers a signal corresponding to the respective flow quantity to a central control device (not shown), for example a computer-aided machine controller, by means of which (measurement signal) not only is the mixing ratio of the two components corresponding to the respective recipe achieved by actuating the metering valves 11 and 13 but also the closing of the liquid valve 16 arranged in the liquid channel 8 is brought about, namely after reaching the predefined charge quantity introduced into the respective bottle 2.

The liquid valve 16 consists substantially of a plunger 17 which is arranged coaxial to the filling element axis FA and which is configured at its lower end as a valve body 18 with a valve body seal which concentrically surrounds the filling element axis FA, wherein said valve body seal, in order to close the liquid valve, cooperates with a valve surface formed on a conical face 19 of the liquid channel 8, said conical face being rotationally symmetrical to the filling element axis FA. In order to open and close the liquid valve 16, the valve plunger 17 with its valve body 18 is moved by an actuating mechanism 20 in the filling element axis FA between the closed position shown in FIG. 1, in which the valve body 18 bears with its valve body seal against the valve surface formed by the conical face 19, and the open position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in which the valve body or the seal thereof is at a distance from the conical face and an annular gap or opening gap 21 of considerable gap width, i.e. having a gap width of more than 4 mm, preferably having a gap width of more than 8 mm but less than 20 mm, preferably having a gap width of between 13 mm and 16 mm, is formed between the valve body 18 and the inner face of the liquid channel 8. As a result, the filling of the bottles 2 with a mixed product consisting of the first component from the vessel 12 and the second component from the annular channel 14 is possible without any problem.

The valve plunger 17 is sealingly surrounded by a bellows-type element 21 which acts as a seal that seals off the passage of the valve plunger 17 through the filling element housing 7 but at the same time also has an external diameter which is equal to or substantially equal to the maximum external diameter of the valve body 18.

In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid channel 8 is shaped in such a way that it has an upper, substantially circular-cylindrical channel portion 8.1, into which the product line portion 9 also opens. The liquid channel 8 is also shaped in such a way that the channel portion 8.1 is adjoined in the axially downward direction—relative to the filling element axis FA—by a likewise substantially circular-cylindrical channel portion 8.2, wherein this channel portion 8.2 has a reduced cross-section in comparison to the channel portion 8.1. It is in turn adjoined in the downward direction by the channel portion 8.3, which has the conical face 19 and narrows in the manner of a funnel toward the underside of the filling element 1, and then by a channel portion 8.4 which has the dispensing opening 6 and a circular-cylindrical cross-section.

All of the channel portions 8.1-8.4 are preferably arranged coaxial to one another and coaxial to the axis FA. In the closed state of the filling element 16, the valve body 18 is accommodated in the channel portions 8.3 and 8.4. In the fully open state of the liquid valve 16, the valve body 18 is accommodated in the liquid channel portion 8.2 with the full gap width of the opening gap 21.

In order to convey away from the filling element 1 any medium in gas and/or vapor form which exists in the liquid channel 8 and which is for example a residue of a cleaning and/or disinfecting medium remaining in the liquid channel 8 and/or ambient air remaining in the liquid channel 8 and/or having entered the liquid channel 8 during the filling process, and thus to avoid any rising of air and/or gas and/or vapor bubbles in the product channel 10 and into the vessels 12 and 14, together with the associated disadvantages of possible contamination of the product and/or impairment of the measurement accuracy of the flow meter 15, the liquid channel 8 is designed with a venting system.

This venting system comprises inter alia the venting channel 23 which is formed in the filling element housing 7 and which opens into the liquid channel 8 via an opening 24 on the upper side remote from the dispensing opening 6, i.e. at the highest level of the liquid channel 8. The venting channel 23 is in communication with a channel 25, wherein the channel 25 is connected to a collecting channel or annular channel (not shown in detail) provided on the rotor 3 and common to all the filling elements 1 of the filling machine, or to a vacuum channel.

The venting channel 23 is preferably designed in such a way that, proceeding from the opening 24 in a portion 23.1, it runs firstly upward and then downward again before opening into the channel 25. By virtue of the course taken by the portion 23.1, a gas trap is formed in which constituents in gas and/or vapor form which are present in the liquid channel 8 can collect in order to be conveyed away via the venting channel 23.

In order to enhance this effect, the upper boundary wall of the liquid channel 8 is convex on the inner side, so that there is formed above the liquid channel portion 8.1 and above the opening at which the product line portion 9 opens into the liquid channel 8 a dome-like widening or a dome-like liquid channel portion 8.5, in which constituents in gas and/or vapor form can collect and into which the venting channel 23 opens with its opening 24.

Formed in the filling element housing 7 is a further channel 26 which opens via an opening 27 into the liquid channel portion 8.3, namely, in the direction of flow of the liquid charge, above the valve seat which is formed on the conical face 19 and against which the valve body 18 or the seal thereof bears when the liquid valve 16 is closed. The channel 26 likewise opens into the channel 25.

Preferably, the venting is controlled by means of at least one valve (venting valve), which is then provided for example separately for each filling element 1 of the filling system or filling machine, for example in the channel 25, or else jointly for a group of multiple filling elements 1 or for all the filling elements 1 of the filling machine.

It is also possible to incorporate the venting channel 23 in a charge heating circuit which also includes the channels 25 and 26, and/or in the event of a possibly provided CIP cleaning and/or disinfection in a circuit for the appropriate cleaning and/or disinfecting medium, namely once again together with the channels 25 and 26.

As mentioned above, the venting of the respective filling element 1 via the venting channel 23 takes place in particular prior to each start of production, namely in such a way that the liquid valve 16 is closed and the gas pathways or channels 23 and 25 which serve for venting are opened. Thereafter, the charge is introduced into the vessels 12 and 14 and conducted via the product line 10 into the liquid channel 8 of the filling elements 1, wherein any gas and/or air residues present in the respective liquid channel 8 are conveyed away via the venting system formed by the venting channel 23, so that the respective filling element 1 is completely filled with the charge. A venting of the filling elements 1 can also take place during ongoing production, for example by manual intervention or else automatically, e.g. at predefined time intervals, preferably with the liquid valve closed in each case.

FIG. 3 shows, in a simplified partial view, a filling element 1 a which is intended for a pressure filling of bottles 2 a with a liquid charge and which has the structure necessary for this and known to the person skilled in the art, namely substantially consisting of the filling element housing 7 a, in which a liquid channel 8 a (valve chamber) is formed. In the upper region, the liquid channel 8 is connected to a product line 10 a for feeding the charge which is at a filling pressure. In the lower region, the liquid channel 8 a forms on the underside of the filling element housing 7 a a dispensing opening 6 a, against which at least during the filling process the respective bottle 2 a is pressed, i.e. bears sealingly, with its bottle opening or mouth 2 a.1 via a seal 29 formed on a centering bell 28. Provided in the liquid channel 8 a is the liquid valve 16 a which comprises the valve body 18 a which cooperates with a valve seat on the inner face of the liquid channel 8 a and can be moved up and down by a predefined stroke in the direction of the filling element axis FA by means of an actuating mechanism (not shown) in order to open and close the liquid valve 16 a.

The filling element 1 and the liquid channel 8 a thereof are once again designed with a venting system for conveying away constituents in gas and/or vapor form. In this embodiment, the venting system comprises a venting channel 30 which opens via an opening 31 into the liquid channel 8 a, namely once again at the highest region of the liquid channel 8 a and above the opening at which the product channel 10 a opens into the liquid channel 8 a. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 31 is located in the region of a seal 32 which seals off the liquid channel 8 a at its upper side. The venting channel 30 is for example once again connected to a collecting channel or annular channel, for example to a vacuum channel, which is provided on the rotor 3 a jointly for all the filling elements of the filling machine. The venting system is moreover controlled, namely using at least one valve (venting valve) which is provided separately for each filling element 1 a or else jointly for all the filling elements or for a respective group of multiple filling elements. Furthermore, the venting channel 30 may also be incorporated in the circuit for a cleaning and/or disinfecting medium in the case of CIP cleaning and/or disinfection.

The invention presented above is configured in a particularly advantageous manner when the product line portion 9 and/or the metering valve 11 and/or the vessel for the first component 12 and/or the metering valve 13 and/or the flow meter 15 and/or further components are designed and/or arranged in such a way that gas bubbles which may be present in these components or which may flow through these components can rise through these components without disruption until they reach the vessel for the first component 12. To this end, it is necessary to prevent such gas bubbles from adhering to walls, undercuts or connection points of the components, etc. In order to avoid adhesion, it is provided for example that all the flow pathways have a sufficient incline relative to the horizontal. It is also provided that the geometric dimensions or properties of the components are selected in such a way that undercuts, rough surfaces and protrusions, etc. are completely avoided.

The invention has been described above on the basis of examples of embodiments. It will be understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without thereby departing from the inventive concept on which the invention is based.

LIST OF REFERENCES

-   1, 1 a filling element -   2, 2 a bottle -   2.1, 2 a.1 bottle opening -   3 rotor -   4 bottle or container carrier -   5 filling position -   6 dispensing opening -   7, 7 a filling element housing -   8, 8 a liquid channel in the filling element housing 7 -   8.1-8.5 liquid channel portion -   9 product line portion -   10, 10 a product line -   11 metering valve -   12 vessel for first component -   13 metering valve -   14 annular channel or annular vessel for second component -   15 flow meter -   16, 16 a liquid valve -   17 valve plunger -   18, 18 a valve body -   19 conical face -   20 actuating element for valve plunger 17 and valve body 18 -   21 opening gap -   22 bellows-type element -   23 venting channel -   23.1 channel portion -   24 opening -   25, 26 channel -   27 opening -   28 centering bell -   29 seal -   30 venting channel -   31 opening -   FS charge stream -   FA filling element axis 

1-11. (canceled)
 12. An apparatus comprising a filling element for filling containers with a liquid charge, said filling element comprising a filling element housing having a liquid channel formed therein, said liquid channel comprising a venting system, a valve actuating mechanism, and a liquid valve provided upstream, relative to a flow direction of said liquid charge, of a dispensing opening, said liquid valve being configured to be actuated by said actuating mechanism for controlled dispensing of said liquid charge through said dispensing opening and into a container.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said venting system comprises a venting channel that opens into said liquid channel, said venting channel being configured as a gas trap and/or by at least one collecting space that is connected to at least one venting channel, is formed by at least one portion of the liquid channel or is in communication with the liquid channel, and is connected to at least one venting channel.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said venting channel is in communication with a channel that opens into said liquid channel in a region upstream, relative to a flow direction of said liquid charge, of a valve seat of a valve body of said liquid valve relative to a flow direction of said liquid charge.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said venting system is disposed on a region of said liquid channel that is provided above, relative to a vertical axis, an opening of a product channel for feeding said liquid charge into said liquid channel.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said venting system is disposed on a region of said liquid channel that is provided on a region of the liquid channel that is at the highest level relative to a vertical axis.
 17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said venting system is connected to a channel that is part of a heating circuit and/or of a channel or line system of said filling element used for CIP cleaning and/or disinfection
 18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said filling element is configured for free-flow filling.
 19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said filling element is configured for pressure filling.
 20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a rotor that can be driven to rotate about a vertical machine axis, wherein said filling element, together with additional filling elements, is provided on said rotor.
 21. A method for venting filling elements of a filling apparatus having a plurality of filling elements for filling containers with a liquid charge, each of said filling elements comprising a filling element housing having a liquid channel formed therein, said liquid channel comprising a venting system, a valve-actuating mechanism, and a liquid valve provided upstream, relative to a flow direction of said liquid charge, of a dispensing opening, said liquid valve being configured to be actuated by said valve-actuating mechanism for controlled dispensing of said liquid charge through said dispensing opening and into a container, said method comprising closing said liquid valves of said filling elements, introducing said liquid charge from said vessel into said liquid channels of said filling elements with said liquid valves closed, venting said liquid channel via said venting system, wherein venting comprises displacing gas present in said liquid channel using liquid charge flowing into said liquid channel.
 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising, after venting said liquid channel, closing said venting system using a valve.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein venting said liquid channel comprises venting at a region of said liquid channel that, relative to a vertical axis, is located above a region at which said liquid charge is fed into said liquid channel.
 24. The method of claim 21, further comprising ending said venting of said liquid channel when said liquid channel is completely filled with said liquid charge. 